In light of new Apple ads that tout the Mac's imperviousness to viruses, New York Times tech writer David Pogue lists several technical reasons why Macs don't get infected, including:

* Dialog boxes now alert you whenever you even download a file that could contain or conceal executable code (that is, a program, as opposed to a document).
* You can opt to make your Mac invisible to "pings" from the Internet, a common tactic of spammers who are looking for available machines to turn into spam relay stations.

Pogue says the lack of viruses is not because criminal hackers don't target the Mac's small marketshare but simply because it's an inherently more secure operating system. Pogue's arguments are convincing (and of interest to potential switchers), but I still wish Apple luck avoiding a day when they have to eat their words. — Gina Trapani